Rotary engine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. B. BOWER. ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 436,867. Patented Sept. 23, 1890.

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Patented Sept. 23, 1890.

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B. B. BOWER. ROTARY ENGINE.

4 sheets-'sheet 3.

(No Model.)

No. 436.867. Patented 861315.23, 1890.

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B. B. BOWER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Ne. 436,867. Petented sept. 2s, 1890.

32:9, i @Heee/elf UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BYRON n. Bowne, or BAINBRIDGE, GEORGIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,867, dated September 23, 1890.

Application filed September 4, 1889. Serial No. 322,915. (No model.)

To all goh/m, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, BYRON B. Bowan, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bainl bridge, in the county of Decatur and State of the frame-connecting yoke.

Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a rotary engine of an improved construction and operating in an improved way.

My invention consists in certain novel organizations of instrumentalities, combinations of devices, and details of construction hereinafter fully described.

In general outline one form of my apparatus consists of a main supporting-frame, a pair of cylinders connected by a suitable frame and provided with pistons and pistonrods, frames secured to the piston-rods, and a forked yoke connecting the frames to which the piston-rods are secured and through which extends a stationary eccentric or crank axle. As the piston-rods reciprocate in the cylinders, the yoke rides on the eccentric axle and causes the cylinders to be revolved bodily withtheir frame about the axle. The cylinders are provided with ports for the admission and exhaust of steam or similar fluids,

and suitable valves and pipes are providedy to admit of the proper working of' the apparatus. n

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure lis a plan view of one form of my rotary engine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section with some of the parts in elevation; Fig. 3, a detail view of one of the valves and the connecting-pipes; Fig. 4, another detail view of the valves with the cap or plate of the casing removed. Fig. lis a view of the stationary outside plate of valve-Casin g, showing also the stationary pipes; Fig. 5, a longitudinal section through the valve, showing how it is connected with the frame and showing also some of the pipes. Fig. 6 is a vertical central section through one of the cylinders, showing also the piston, piston-rod, its frame, the main supportingframe, and the pipes. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the eccentric axle, which operates the pistons. Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the connection between one of the piston-frames and Fig. 9 is a per- 4may be of any suitable construction.

spective view showing the same more clearly. Fig. lO is a perspective view showing a modication. Fig. 11 shows a plan view of the same slightly modified.

I will first describe the apparatus shown in plan in Fig. l and more in detail in other figures of the drawings. The main frame A It is preferably rectangular, as shown, and surrounds the cylinders B B', which are located Y E extending through its heads yor ends, and

each rod is provided with a frame F, shown as consisting of cross-pieces f at top and bottom, connected by vertical rods f. between the cylinders is located an axle G, which carries a roller H. The axle is so constructed as to hold the roller eccentric from the journals, and preferably consists of end pieces g, secured to the frame A, laterallyprojecting arms f', and a connecting-bar g2, on which the roller His mounted and is free to revolve. A forked yoke I passes over the roller H and forms a connection between the piston-frames F. This yoke is preferably constructed with forked vends K K', preferably semicircular, extending around. the in-l ner sides of the cylinders and connected with the piston-frames, as shown in Figs. 6, 8, and 9 particularly. By referring to these iigures it will be seen that the upright rods jf of the piston-frames are enlarged and slotted at f2, and the ends K K of the forked yoke are slotted at 7o. Through the slots 7o extend anti-friction rollers 7c', journaled in the enlarged portions]2 of the piston-frames. The forked yoke I is provided with a slotted enlargement I, which embraces the roller H on the eccentric axle. The frame C, which supports the cylinders, is secured to the valvecasings L L. The crank-axle extends through the valve-casings, as shown in Fig. 5, and the frame C and the inner sidel of the valvecasing are free to revolve about the axles G. The section Z of the valve is rigidly secured to the frame A. These parts are shown particularly in Fig. 5.

The valve on each side of the apparatus is constructed withA four compartments l, 2, 3,

Midwayl IOO and 4. Pipes M M on each side of the apparatus lead to the valves and enter them outside of the frame A. These are the main pipes for supplying and exhausting steam, and may be used interchangeably. Pipes N N on each side of the apparatus located within the frame A lead from the valves to the top and bottom, respectively, of the cylinders B B and are suitably arranged to admit and exhaust steam from the cylinders. The pipes N N are arranged to revolve with the cylinders and their frame when the apparatus is in operation.

If steam be admitted through the pipes M it will enter compartments 2 of the valves, and as soon as the machine commences to revolve or moves off of adead-center the steam will pass thence into compartment 1 of both valves and throughpipes Ninto the top of both cylinders at once and press down the pistons, and any steam in the bottom of the cylinders Will exhaust Out through pipes N compartments 3 and 4, and pipes M. This rotates the engine. The motion of the apparatus maybe reversed simply by letting in steam by pipes M and exhausting by pipes M in the manner above described, except that steam enters at compartment 4; and passes out through compartment 1 as soon as it moves off of a deadcenter. The valves on both sides of the machine are the identical counterpart of each other, both in their position and operation.

If the machine is on a dead-center, the deadcenter pipe o on the side to whichit is desired to rotate it should be rst used to start the engine.

When the pistons are reciprocated in their cylinders, the forked frames are correspondingly moved, and acting on the crank-axle cause the cylinders and their connectingn frame to revolve on its axle, thus producing the desired rotary motion.

It will be observed that the cylinders and their connected parts are nicely balanced on each side of the apparatus, so that rotary motion may be readily kept up.

The connection between the forked yoke and the piston-frames is such as to allow the yoke to have a slight motion relatively tothe frames, and the necessary iiexible connection is thus afforded.

On each end of the cylinder brackets b are provided, through which the rods f extend and in which they are free to move.

. The extra pipes O are used to admit steam at the points indicated to start the apparatus should it be on a dead-center.

In Figs. IO and 1l aslightly-modificd form of apparatus is shown. The cylinders B and B being approximately oval in cross-section, the pistons are of course correspondingly shaped, and are provided with two rods b b2, connected at each end to a frame b3, which extends through suitable brackets b4. The cylinders are connected by a frame B2, the arms of which are hollow. Rods B connect with the piston-frames and are slotted at B4 and embrace the end of the arms B3, which are connected with the valves B8, and which are connected with each other by a cross-rod B9. Rollers B10 are provided on the arms B5 to work in the slotted enlargements of the rods Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the supporting-frame,

the centrally pivoted cylinder connecting frame, the cylinders at opposite ends thereof, pistons projecting from opposite ends of the cylinders, and the revolving piston-connecting yoke.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the horizontal main supporting-frame, the centrally-pivoted cylinderconnecting frame, cylinders at opposite ends of said frame having their axes parallel and at equal distances from the axis of the frame, the pistons, the parallel pistoirrods, the stationary eccentric axle, and connections between the axle and the piston-rods.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the main support-ingframe, the cylinder-connecting frame centrally pivoted therein, cylinders at opposite ends of said frame, the pistons, their rods, pistonrod frames connecting the opposite ends of the pistons, the eccentric axle, and connections between the eccentric axle and the piston-rod frames.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the main supportingframe, the centrally-pivoted cylindercon- IOO IIO

necting frame, cylinders at opposite ends thereof, the pistons; their rods, frames connecting opposite ends of the rods, the eccentric axle, and the piston-connecting yoke, through which the eccentric axle extends and which is forked at each end and connected to the piston-rod frames.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the supporting-frame, the Ycentrally pivoted cylinder connecting frame, cylinders at each end thereof, valves on opposite sides of the frame, entrance and exhaust ports leading to the valves on both sides of the apparatus, pipes leading from the valves to the cylinders, the eccentric axle, the pistons, and connections between the eccentric axle and the pistons.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the supporting-frame,

cylinders at each end of the frame, rotating valves formed with two or more compartments on opposite sides of the frames, entrance and exhaust ports on each side of the apparatus leading to the valves, whereby the engine may be rotated in reverse directions, pipes leading from the valves to the cylinders, the eccentric axle, the pistons, and connections between the eccentric axle and the pistons.

7. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the supporting-frame, the centrallypivoted cylinder connecting frame, cylinders at each end thereof, valves on opposite sides of the frames, entrance and exhaust pipes leading to thevalves, dead-center pipes on opposite sides of the engine for starting the apparatus in reverse directions, pipes leading to the cyliders, the eccentric axle, the pistons, and connections between the eccentric axle and the pistons. f

8. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the supporting-frame, the cylinders at opposite ends of the frame,

the cylinder-connecting frame, the pistons,

extends and which is provided with slotted ends extending through the slotted enlarge ments of the piston-rod frame, and rollers in the piston-rod frames which extend through the slotted openings in lthe ends of the forked yoke.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed l'ny name.

BYRON B. BOVER.

Witnesses:

A. N. SMALLWooD, C. W. WIMBERLEY. 

